Advances in computer and communications-related technology have enabled businesses to offer a wide variety of goods and services to their customers at times and at places convenient to the customers. Typically, a plurality of remote terminals are provided in locations easily accessible to the customers. The remote terminals are linked by a communications network to a single central station or a plurality of centralized stations which are operated either by service personnel or by computer. Communications between the remote terminal and the central station execute specific transactions selected by the user via the remote terminal. However, before many transactions can proceed, it is necessary to verify the identity, credentials, documentation, and/or other information associated with, or provided by, the customer.
One common example of network described above is an automated teller machine (ATM) network. ATMs enable bank customers to perform a limited number of banking transactions at hours and at locations convenient to the bank customer. Before any ATM transaction is allowed to proceed, however, the bank customer is required to enter a secret personal identification number (PIN) using a keypad at the ATM. The ATM compares the entered PIN with a stored PIN to verify that the party requesting the transaction through the ATM is indeed the bank customer. One disadvantage of PINs is that they do not positively identify the party requesting the transaction. As a result, the types of transactions available from an ATM is restricted to, e.g., deposits to existing accounts, withdrawals from existing accounts, transfers between existing accounts, and the balance of existing accounts. In addition, the amounts involved in certain transactions, such as withdrawals, is limited.
Other transactions, such as loan applications, the opening of credit lines, the purchase of certificates of deposit or other securities, and the opening and closing of accounts, for example, cannot be performed at ATMs because the risk of loss from a security breach is too great or because of regulations imposed by government authorities. In order to complete these transactions, personal interaction between the bank customer and a bank employee is required. Currently, this requires that the bank customer visit the bank's branch office during standard bank hours. The bank is thus faced with the dilemma of either inconveniencing its customers by restricting certain transactions to standard banking hours or absorbing the increased costs of offering these transactions at its various branch offices during expanded hours.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,845,636 to Walker describes a remote transaction system that includes a plurality of remote transaction booths coupled to an operations center by audio and video communications lines. The remote transaction system permits an operator at the operations center to personally verify the identity and credit of a customer at a remote transaction booth. Each remote transaction booth includes a communication module having a video phone, a dispenser module for dispensing items such as car keys, a verification module, and a recorder for recording the audio and video portions of the transaction. The verification module has a camera for imaging cards or documents placed on a transparent holder plate by the customer in the booth. The image of the card or document is transmitted from the remote transaction booth to the operations center. Upon verifying the identity of the remote customer and securing credit or payment, the operator at the operations center activates the dispenser module to provide access to the items contained therein to the customer in the booth.
The remote transaction system described by Walker has numerous drawbacks and deficiencies. For example, Walker does not provide any record of the identity of the operator that verified the identity of the customer in the booth. Moreover, Walker does not provide the customer with any record of the verification. Furthermore, while the video and audio of the entire transaction can be accessed later, the operator has no way of accessing the verification information without reviewing the video and audio record of the entire transaction. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for a verification system and method that provides a verification record in a simple and concise form.